U.S. Government and Constitutional Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering the U.S. Constitution, foundational debates, branch powers, and structural compromises.

Judicial Branch

The institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through federal courts, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and District Courts.

Supremacy Clause

A constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

Amendment

The process through which changes may be made to the Constitution.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed Constitution.

Federalist Papers

A series of $85$ essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, published between $1787$ and $1788$, that lay out the theory of the Constitution.

Federalist 51

An essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism prevent tyranny.

Faction

A group of self-interested people who use government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process.

Federalist 10

An essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of factions can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government.

Brutus No. 1

An Antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

An agreement for a plan of government drawing from both the Virginia and New Jersey plans that settled state representation by establishing a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention establishing that an enslaved person would count as $\frac{3}{5}$ of a person for calculating a state's representation.

Compromise on Importation

An agreement specifying that Congress could not restrict the slave trade until $1808$.

Separation of Powers

A design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own.

Checks & Balances

A design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policies.

Federalism

The sharing of power between the states and the national government.

Legislative Branch

The institution responsible for making laws, comprised of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate).

Expressed or Enumerated Powers

Authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the Constitution.

Necessary & Proper (Elastic) Clause

Language in Article 1, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

Implied Powers

Authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers.

Executive Branch

The institution responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch, headed by the President.

Constitution

A document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institutions of government.

Republic

A government ruled by representatives of the people.

Articles of Confederation

The governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states were supreme over the national government.

Unicameral

A one-house legislature.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting attended by state delegates in $1787$ to fix the Articles of Confederation.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

The right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them.

Bill of Attainder

An act when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial.

Ex Post-Facto Laws

Laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed.

Virginia Plan

A plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress.

New Jersey Plan

A plan of government providing for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state.

Grand Committee

A committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature.

Proposal (Amendment Process)

The first stage of amending the Constitution, requiring either a $\frac{2}{3}$ vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or passage in a national convention called at the request of $\frac{2}{3}$ of the states.

Ratification (Amendment Process)

The second stage of amending the Constitution, requiring either a majority vote in $\frac{3}{4}$ of state legislatures, or acceptance by ratifying conventions in $\frac{3}{4}$ of the states.

Powers of the Executive Branch

Specific presidential powers including enforcing laws, signing or vetoing bills, serving as Commander in Chief of the military, appointing federal judges, directing departments and agencies, conducting foreign relations, and granting pardons.

Powers of the Legislative Branch

Specific powers of Congress including creating laws, passing bills and federal statutes, declaring war, controlling taxation and government spending, overriding vetoes, approving treaties and presidential appointments (Senate), and impeaching and removing federal officials.

Powers of the Judicial Branch

Specific powers of the courts including interpreting laws, reviewing law constitutionality, handling disputes involving federal laws, reviewing actions of the executive and legislative branches, and overturning unconstitutional laws and government actions.